Morbid_Angel

Morbid Angel - Blessed are the Sick
Earache, 1991
Gloon:
This album to me is what Death Metal is all about. The cover, the logo, the lyrics, this is a treat. On the surface Blessed... is mid paced technical Death Metal, which can switch between blistering speed to slow grinding passages at the drop of a hat. Dig deeper however and you find the genius of MA. To me Morbid Angel have always been a metal band with Death Metal aggression and attitude, their song structuring, soloing (check out the Azagthoth expression session on 'The Ancient Ones') and catchy choruses have more in common with the average thrash/metal band then their DM compatriots. Blessed... to me has a real, menace and pagan feel to it, it reminds me a lot of the feel of the early black metal scene emerging out of Norway, the production adds to this feel being fairly raw and unpolished compared to their later releases. Vincent's vocals vary from spiteful rasps to the more traditional death grunt used more in the future and help establish a character and diversity to the band. There is not much more to say, unlike other DM of its period, Blessed...has seemed to age well and if you are new to the scene and wonder whats all the fuss about this Morbid Angel mob, then purchase and find out.
Favourite Tracks: Brainstorm, Day of Suffering, The Ancient Ones
Rating - 9/10

Morbid Angel – Domination
WEA/Warner, 1995
Gloon:
This album introduced the new MA sound, and I for one loved it. After the rather disappointing Covenant, Domination reminds us of all the things that made 'Blessed.' the classic that it is. Azagthoth and Rutan are firing on all cylinders and Dave Vincent once again reminds us why he is the best in the business. MA manages to walk the fine line between technicality, brutality and catchiness that few Death Metal bands (including themselves lately) ever could wish to. The speed and riff frenzy of 'Dawn of the Angry' is a perfect example of all three attributes being melded perfectly into one. Keyboards also make an appearance adding to the atmosphere and 'feel' of the album with the haunting intro to 'Caesars Palace' and the heaving synths of the crushing 'Hatework' putting many a black metal band to shame. There is a serious death-groove happening here whether fans want to admit it or not (something that is sorely lacking in later releases) the huge opening riff for 'Inquisition' gets me every time and I can't help but start banging as the song rages on. Some die-hard fans didn't like the approach MA took on Domination; all I can say is grow up. Morbid Angel began pushing the boundaries and restrictions of death metal on this release and in doing so cemented themselves in history with yet another classic.
Favourite Tracks: Dominate, Dawn of the Angry, Inquisition (Burn with Me)
Rating - 9/10

Morbid Angel ‘Formulas Fatal to the Flesh’
Earache, 1998
Gloon:
After the relative easy groove and accessibility of ‘Domination’, ‘Fatal’ comes across at first like a jumble of ideas, themes and overall confusion of a band that simply didn’t know where to go. Dave Vincent’s departure paved the way for a total creative take over by Trey Azagthoth and his left field ideologies and complex arrangements. The result sees new comer Steve Tucker having to spit out ancient texts and hymns to the ancients much in the same vein as Nile. This comes across at first as a little cumbersome and disjointed but soon becomes just another part of the MA machine. The album’s true brilliance and worth however only begins to shine now in retrospective and after continuous spins of intensive listening. Forgetting everything that came before, ‘Fatal’ becomes a true masterpiece, the Morbid Angel sound and style is taken to new levels of complexity and extremes while still staying true to the bands roots and themes. Trey’s solos are once again mesmerizing and unique while Pete Sandoval once again adds to his reputation as Death’s best sticksman. If a comparison must be made then this could be seen as the natural progression from ‘Blessed are the Sick’ musically if not conceptually. The only draw back is of course Tucker’s vocals which sound a little tired and generic however as future albums show, this improves drastically. Overall a much underappreciated album of its time that only now for me begins to show its true colours.
Favourite Tracks – Heaving Earth, Nothing is Not, Hellspawn: The Rebirth
Rating – 8.5/10

Morbid Angel ‘Gateways to Annihilation’
Earache, 2000
Gloon:
After the seemingly directionless and free structured ‘Formulas Fatal to the Flesh’ Morbid Angel return to a more simplistic, formulatic approach not too dissimilar to ‘Domination’. But while ‘Domination’ sounded fresh and inspired, ‘Gateways’ sounds plodding and by-the-numbers. Sounding like an album full off ‘Nothing is Not’ and ‘Where the Slime Lives’ the album slowly dirges its way through tracks rarely raising the intensity levels. Steve Tucker has taken a more active role in the lyrical creation this time round and we are greeted once again with more familiar occult/satanic tinged themes and messages. Steve’s vocals are also now given more freedom to move and the slower pace helps him put more of a personality into his delivery. While disappointing in its almost doomish approach, this is still Morbid Angel and the band hasn’t written a bad album in their whole illustrious career. Tracks such as ‘To the Victor the Spoils’ and ‘Secured Limitations’ still rock as good as anything MA and there are still glimpses of the band’s greatness scattered across the album. In the end the album is just too slow and too long for its own good and drowns under its own weight in parts, however fans of the band and Death Heads in general should still have no excuse for not checking this one out.
Favourite Tracks – Summoning Redemption, Secured Limitations, I
Rating – 7.5/10

Morbid Angel ‘Heretic’
Earache, 2003
Gloon:
After all the comings and goings of the last few years finally the line up is established with only the loss of Eric Rutan being a major blow as Steve Tucker returns to the fold to lead Death Metal’s flagship through their 8th studio album. After relative disappointments and experimentation over the last two post Vincent releases Morbid Angel finally gel under their now established frontman and produce their best Tucker era album to date. ‘Heretic’ sees a welcome return to form for the masters, with their patented sound still intact the band weave through intricate time changes and heaving riffs like only they can. The big improvement is in the song writing with each song possessing its own identity and truly shining unlike the sometimes cumbersome ‘Gateways’ which tended to drag its feet and plod along a little too pedestrianly. Production wise the guitars are drenched in a more fuzz style which works well and puts a new spin on the famous MA sound. Songs such as ‘Enshrined in Grace’ and ‘Curse the Flesh’ are sure to become classics while the musicals once again highlight the bands underrated talent for creating disturbing soundscapes. Also as a treat we are given a rare insight into the bands less serious side with a wild drum check from Pete ‘Commando’ Sandoval and an intricate solo from Trey entitled ‘Born Again’. If you, like me, have been waiting for the band to return to top form, wait no longer. Heretic delivers on all levels and exceeds all expectations, don’t hesitate buy now!!!!!!!!!
Favourite Tracks – Enshrined in Grace, Curse the Flesh, Cleansed in Pestilence (Blade of Elohim)
Rating – 8.5/10